The martyr

Crowned with a glory,

woven in soothing words,

you stand on a pedestal,

bricked with compassion.

You are naked.

Standing vulnerable.

The arrows pierce through your body.

It was your eyes that got stuck out in Syracuse.

You are the sacrificial lamb

that suffer to grant others peace.

No one ever reflects over your will,

but you do it for them.

You are purity. You are goodness.

The sword gores through your neck.

It was your guts that were ripped out

at the emperor´s command.

Your brethren worship their saint

and you are nurtured by their prayers.

Absorbing thirstily the attention

with self-pity in the mind.

You are seen. You are affirmed.

The flames consume your body.

It was you that was flogged for rejecting

the love of the Roman governor.

You focus on keeping your head held high

under the weight of your gloria.

All your powers are used to keep your balance on your pedestal.

And you could never get away.

                               ~

Supplement: Romans 5: 3-4